Getting started with mods?

[PS3D]

Hey, I wanted to get back into ATS but with mods and other stuff to make the game more interesting/better. I was paging through mods on another site but didn't know where to start with them, a lot of them just seem to be new paint jobs, texture swaps (and not terribly well-implemented), and a few others like sound updates.

I wanted to ask what mods are "essentials" and what are some of your favorites? I'm also interested in any new maps that can be swapped into the main game, like making a larger, more detailed San Francisco (if such a thing exists).

[meatballs_21]

I love JazzyCat’s AI traffic vehicle mods, adds a lot more variety to the other vehicles you see. They are not frequenting the official forums, so you need to be careful looking for the real deal as sone mod sites are shady or have malware: I think atsmods.lt and modland have the official versions.

I like mods that increase the amount of traffic too: this was the first thing I changed when the game came out (a traffic mod done right is far better than just increasing the g_traffic variable). There are several to choose from on the Workshop and official forums.

I also like the “Intermittent long freight trains” by Eddie Yantz on the Workshop, but be warned: it can on occasion cause the game to chug big time if you go for the “very long” version while it loads in 50+ railcars and multiple locomotives.

I don’t touch map mods so I don’t know if there’s an expanded SF one. I do know that SCS is reworking all of California and the Bay Area is likely to be included when the next section is released.

[Wolfgang]

Just as a PSA: Avoid getting any mods from the following people:
Renenate
Mods82
Guest
Cruiser

They are all known mod thieves. Also avoid the map mod from KDog as it is just map mods that got crudely mashed together to barely work and reuploaded without the permission of the original mod authors.

[Underscore_101_3]

What is essential for one person may not be for the other, that's a good start, isn't it :-)

A great place to browse mods next to the Steam mod section is the SCS forum, many authors will post their mods there, or have a link to their mods on personal websites, Steam, the SCS forum and Trucky mods are the only 3 places where you can be sure the original author posts their mods or links and the latest versions.

SCS forum mod section: https://forum.scssoft.com/viewforum.php?f=183
Trucky mods: https://truckymods.io/

In general, read the description and newest comments on any mod before you download or subscribe to them.

Some mods I like (aside from truck mods):
Engine sound mods by Kriechbaum.
True mirror FOV.
Grimes mods (seasons).
No barrier mod (not needed, but I prefer to drive through a barrier than hit one)
Real Ai trailers (except jazzycat's)
Promods Canada

Try to avoid other 3rd party websites, they usually only host stolen mods that are often poorly updated, if updated at all (see Wolfgang's comment).

[PS3D]

The reason I brought up map mods is I was on the fence with the Texas mod--I was a bit put off that the scale got screwed up in some cities (a screenshot of Waco looked impressive but I was like "the buildings are all in the wrong places") and some cities got left out entirely (my hometown is not overly large or has a lot of industry, but it got left out, even as a scenery town).

I don't know if map mods could be "swapped out" within the larger in-game map.

[BlackJakSchelack]

Did you mean DLC, nothing from SCS is a MOD. Everything from SCS is either the base game or DLC. Any game altering file not from SCS is a MOD. Google ATS GMC Logistics, select ATS then important pre setup information. There is a lot of good info here, copy the buffer page size that fits the amount of system RAM you have, it explains below where to paste the value you have copied from the dash to the size 1000 with no spaces. The next page down is a MOD order guide. The only thing I found out of order is any lights and wheels MODS should go between the Maps/Trucks MODS. Some truck and trailer MODS will not work correctly with them above in MOD order. It's a good idea not to run duplicate MODS from different modders. Only run one MOD of say the W900, I have around 6 modded trucks and 5 modded trailers running in the same profile but they each represent one model. I also have duplicate game models running without issue.

[Nats]

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[meatballs_21]

Originally posted by PS3D:

The reason I brought up map mods is I was on the fence with the Texas mod--I was a bit put off that the scale got screwed up in some cities (a screenshot of Waco looked impressive but I was like "the buildings are all in the wrong places") and some cities got left out entirely (my hometown is not overly large or has a lot of industry, but it got left out, even as a scenery town).

I don't know if map mods could be "swapped out" within the larger in-game map.

I think some maps (like the Alaska one) are stand alone. It's a little hard to take when it's an area you know and you don't feel the representation does it justice, I get it. I haven't played the Discover Ontario map mod because I checked what the map looks like beforehand and the 400-series highway that runs right through my town is missing! (that's like an interstate or motorway missing). Such is the nature of games that try to replicate the real world - when The Getaway came out on PS2, people were obsessively driving to places in London that they knew well and finding fault with the representation.

[PS3D]

Originally posted by BlackJakSchelack:

Did you mean DLC, nothing from SCS is a MOD. Everything from SCS is either the base game or DLC. Any game altering file not from SCS is a MOD. Google ATS GMC Logistics, select ATS then important pre setup information. There is a lot of good info here, copy the buffer page size that fits the amount of system RAM you have, it explains below where to paste the value you have copied from the dash to the size 1000 with no spaces. The next page down is a MOD order guide. The only thing I found out of order is any lights and wheels MODS should go between the Maps/Trucks MODS. Some truck and trailer MODS will not work correctly with them above in MOD order. It's a good idea not to run duplicate MODS from different modders. Only run one MOD of say the W900, I have around 6 modded trucks and 5 modded trailers running in the same profile but they each represent one model. I also have duplicate game models running without issue.

I meant to say Texas DLC, sorry...and the inaccuracies are why I'm a little on the fence about it. It's a bit frustrating even now! There are wonderful little details that I didn't think they'd add and then leave off or change something more significant.

[Wolfgang]

Originally posted by PS3D:

Originally posted by BlackJakSchelack:

Did you mean DLC, nothing from SCS is a MOD. Everything from SCS is either the base game or DLC. Any game altering file not from SCS is a MOD. Google ATS GMC Logistics, select ATS then important pre setup information. There is a lot of good info here, copy the buffer page size that fits the amount of system RAM you have, it explains below where to paste the value you have copied from the dash to the size 1000 with no spaces. The next page down is a MOD order guide. The only thing I found out of order is any lights and wheels MODS should go between the Maps/Trucks MODS. Some truck and trailer MODS will not work correctly with them above in MOD order. It's a good idea not to run duplicate MODS from different modders. Only run one MOD of say the W900, I have around 6 modded trucks and 5 modded trailers running in the same profile but they each represent one model. I also have duplicate game models running without issue.

I meant to say Texas DLC, sorry...and the inaccuracies are why I'm a little on the fence about it. It's a bit frustrating even now! There are wonderful little details that I didn't think they'd add and then leave off or change something more significant.

Since the map scale is 1:20 outside of cities stuff has to be excluded. Even in cities the map scale is 1:3 which also means that things need to be excluded. For every one thing they add multiple other things have to be left out.

[Dark & Realistic™ Nessie]

From the gameplay point of view, these are some of the ones I use:

- If you want traffic diversity, look for JazzyCat traffic packs meatballs_21 mentioned, but depending on your system, as they're very detailed, it may put your PC to the limit, so you can go with the following (or if your PC can handle them all, you can use JazzyCat's together with these ones too):
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1220240293 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2257447741 https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1942968500
- If you want some eye-candy for VMS on highways:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2105822058
- For a more realistic density, not simply a traffic increase, but adjusted by where and what vehicle:
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=1213282672
- And to avoid time frustrations while on cities, adjust traffic light time (I've read something about official changes to time coming later, but this one is still very useful):
https://steamcommunity.com/sharedfiles/filedetails/?id=2164516577

About maps, besides standalone ones (that is, those that don't change stuff on existing map, but swaps it completely), I don't really recommend any really. Not for being bad, but because you'll end up having to play without them for every game update until they're also updated. And as an addition to what Wolfgang posted above, the main limitation of have the highway system at 1:20 and cities at 1:3 is that cities can't be much expanded. That's why cities are usually have streets cut down. And why big cities at the border of states usually "bleed" to the neighbor state.